The Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks had an entertaining battle on Saturday, but Joel Embiid and company had nothing to be happy about—particularly with how the contest ended.
With the Knicks up by three points, New York star point guard Jalen Brunson went to the foul line for a pair of free throws. Converting at least one of his attempts would have made it a two-possession game, virtually sealing the win for the Knicks.
However, Brunson bricked both shots, leaving the door open for Philadelphia to tie the score and force overtime with a 3-pointer. The 76ers never got the chance to launch a Hail Mary, though, as Embiid turned the ball over after securing a rebound.
Here’s how the play unfolded in the dying moments of the game.
Joel Embiid threw a turnover and blamed the refs 🤣 pic.twitter.com/cLcpkaoY17
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) January 24, 2026
It also appeared that Brunson tried to foul Embiid to prevent the 76ers from taking a 3-point shot, but no whistle was blown on the play, as time on the clock expired, giving the Knicks a 112-109 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa.
Embiid’s blunder capped the 76ers’ spoiled bid to complete a series sweep of the Knicks in the 2025-26 NBA regular season. Philadelphia won the first two meetings, while the Knicks have a chance to tie the series on Feb. 11.
The former NBA Most Valuable Player led the Sixers in the loss to New York with 38 points on 13-for-21 shooting from the floor, while Tyrese Maxey added 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
